15 STARS tells BourbonBlog.com they area reaching deep into Kentucky’s frontier past with Kentucke County, a new whiskey line built around America’s 250th anniversary and bourbon’s earliest roots. The launch brings two approachable age-stated bottles to the shelf: a 12 Year American Whiskey at $57.99 and a 6 Year Straight Bourbon at $37.99.
Kentucke County 12 Year-Old American Whiskey is bottled at 90 proof and offers a blend of straight bourbon and American whiskey distilled from a bourbon mash bill. It was aged 7 years in second-use oak before spending an additional 5 years in new charred oak.
Kentucke County 6 Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is also bottled at 90 proof and is made from a blend of two Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys, each with a minimum age of 6 years.
Why is it spelled “Kentucke?” Keep reading for the answer below as that was not a typo!
The 12 Year American Whiskey
Kentucke County 12 Year-Old American Whiskey is a 90 proof blend of straight bourbon and American whiskey. According to 15 STARS, it was distilled from a bourbon mash bill, then aged 7 years in second-use oak before spending an additional 5 years in new charred oak.
That aging path is important because it gives the whiskey both maturity and a different barrel story than a standard bourbon. The second-use oak portion can help soften the whiskey and build age without overwhelming it, while the final 5 years in new charred oak brings back deeper bourbon-style structure, including caramel, spice, wood, and tobacco.
15 STARS tells us it has tasting notes of oak, vanilla extract, dark chocolate, nutmeg, pear, sweet cherry, herbal tea, and honey on the nose. The palate brings pear, cherry, apple, oak, cinnamon, pepper, and caramel, leading into a long caramel, wood, and tobacco finish.
The 6 Year Straight Bourbon
Kentucke County 6 Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 90 proof and made from a blend of two Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys, each with a minimum age of 6 years. The press release does not list the exact mash bills for the two bourbons, so the safest wording is to describe it as a blend of Kentucky straight bourbons rather than naming a specific grain recipe.
At 6 years old and $37.99 MSRP, this expression is positioned as the more accessible bourbon in the Kentucke County launch. It gives the line a straight bourbon option alongside the older 12 Year American Whiskey, while still keeping the age statement front and center.
15 STARS describes the nose as showing honeysuckle, banana, candied fruit, caramel, damp forest, and seasoned oak. The palate brings vanilla, apricot, golden raisin, cinnamon, and oak-driven spice.
Why Are They Spelling it “Kentucke?”
The name Kentucke County reaches back to 1776, the same year the American colonies declared independence. It was first established as Virginia’s western frontier county, later becoming part of the Kentucke District, where Bourbon County was created and where bourbon whiskey’s name would eventually take root. (See image above)
That timing gives the release a broader American history connection as the country approaches its 250th anniversary. Kentucke County points back to the frontier years after independence, when Kentucky settlement, land claims, treaties, and early whiskey traditions were helping shape the new nation’s westward story.
The release comes from 15 STARS co-founders Rick and Ricky Johnson, the father-and-son team behind the brand. The Johnsons are also known for Black Jewell Popcorn, giving the 15 STARS story a deeper connection to agriculture, grain, and family entrepreneurship.
Bourbon expert Tom Fischer has followed 15 STARS extensively and interviewed Rick and Ricky Johnson in BourbonBlog videos. Watch the video below for more on the Rick and Ricky and story behind 15 STARS.
Kentucke County also arrives during an active period for 15 STARS, following the launch of First West Explorer, its first bourbon made from 100% in-house distilled whiskey and its proprietary baby black corn mashbill.
The post 15 STARS Debuts Kentucke County: New Whiskey Line Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary first appeared on BourbonBlog.
